Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Developments in Access to Legal Information Online

Here are a couple of items that I've been meaning to mention, each highlighting new ways in which the online world is expanding to provide enhanced access to information and services for the legal profession and the public:
  • Lawline.com recently opened up its entire continuing legal education course catalogue for free access to lawyers. As its press release noted, this unlimited access "is a game changer for the legal industry and online education everywhere."  I am hoping this model may be of interest to the Law Society of Upper Canada, which is amassing an impressive and growing catalogue of videotaped CPD programmes. Wouldn't it be useful for the LSUC to give members easy, on demand online access  to archived CPD video and materials? My thought is that LSUC membership should include unlimited, free access to any video programmes and materials in "the LSUC vault" from one year after original presentation dates. The time has arrived for a CLE portal of this nature in Ontario. 
  • Congratulations are in order for our friend, Omar Ha-Redeye, who joined My Support Calculator as General Manager several months ago. (Omar is also continuing in his own, private law practice with Fleet Street Law). My Support Calculator is an essential new resource for Canadians who find themselves involved in the nation's family court system. Delivering quick, easy and free access to the child support and spousal support "numbers" that separated parents and spouses need to know, My Support Calculator is a near-godsend for Canada's unrepresented litigants - and the judges and counsel working with them.
- Garry J. Wise, Toronto